As technologyh coordinator for Part15... the guy who's supposed to help the staff understand what the people in the field want, and give advice on what can be substituted for what... I have some observations that I'd like to post several places, including P-15, WISPA public list.
First, I would like to commend EVERYONE who has volunteered or given something. Anything. Nothing is too great or too small to not be recognized or important. Next, I would like to express my profound surprise at the widespread response. There's a LOT of folks from EVERYWHERE, including outside the country who will drop everything and go to help. Next... Sitting in this position, I have watched the beaurocracy from a different angle than I've watched it from before. From seeing the urgent need for organization, and at the same time watching the amazing effectiveness of ad hoc relationships between individuals... Someone needs something and someone knows someone else who has it and they get it together. From a small group of individuals who get together, pool thier limited resources and work 18 hours a day to the point of pure exhaustion, until the bank account's flat and the credit cards are maxed - these people represent the finest and dearest of all things American, yet cannot seem to get effective support though they so desperately need it - even though they and those outside dedicate themselves to trying. And then there's the tension that results from those who seek donations, who are entirely obligated to make sure that nothing given is unused or un-needed. And then the results of those who are willing to give, and do, but can't get the need and what's availble together at the same time. If you donate, you want those whom you donate it to to ensure it will be properly used. If you're on the ground you ARE properly using, but your needs can't be predicted 24 hours in advance, except for a few. If you are in the middle, the business of being responsible to those who donate...and those who need, and attempting to make sure that both are met - is daunting beyond belief. If I ask you to release what you have on faith it will be used... I am then indebted to you to make sure it is used or returned, even though I haven't the resources or authority to gaurantee either - and so I cannot. If I choose to wait until a need is specific for what you have, I risk failing to support those who need it because I did not get it in time to be useful. BOTH of these have occurred already. Both of these issues have frayed relationships and caused hardship and misunderstanding. And lastly, there's nothing like a common goal to get people to work together. And also, there's nothing like conflicting goals, to bring frictions and tempers to the forefront. Thanks Mark North East Oregon Fastnet, LLC 509-593-4061 personal correspondence to: mark at neofast dot net sales inquiries to: purchasing at neofast dot net Fast Internet, NO WIRES! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
